


Carry on Dancing

by BlackRoseShiori



Category: Slayers (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Amelia has bright ideas, F/M, Gen, Irresponsible Use of Magic, Which I spelled Mileena for a long time and I don't feel like changing it, Zelgadis and Naga meet, and it goes about as well as you'd think, irresponsible use of dragons, joining cults for fun and profit, mentions of Luke and Milina, rated for some swears and mild magical violence, strategist Gourry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:27:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26624413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackRoseShiori/pseuds/BlackRoseShiori
Summary: Is she looking to repay a debt, or just looking for trouble? Not that it matters, since he'd follow her anywhere.
Relationships: Gourry Gabriev/Lina Inverse, Zelgadis Greywords/Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Lies and Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this in...2008, I think? Maybe 2010? Anyway, a long time ago. It was posted on ff.net, but I've mostly cleared out that account. 
> 
> I've gone back through it and completed some light editing, so I'm going to post all of the chapters that are already done, and then I'm going to finish this thing! I only have one chapter left to go, so I have literally no idea why I stopped.
> 
> **
> 
> This story takes place three months after the events of Slayers Revolution/Evolution-R, but also as if the events of the second half of the Slayers light novels have already happened. So within that three months, Lina and Gourry met Luke and Mileena and had to fight Shabranigdo again.

Prince Phil of Seyruun was known for a lot of things. One of those things was his great love of justice. But another was that the Prince was a huge pushover when it came to his youngest daughter, Amelia.

That's why, when Amelia came to him three months after the rebuilding of Taforashia, he couldn't turn down her request to set off in search for her older sister, Gracia.

"Why now?" the Prince couldn't help but ask.

Amelia looked at her father, but didn't seem to be seeing him. Instead, her gaze was distant, caught in another time and place.

"There are a lot of reason," Amelia finally said. "The most important one is that I miss her. I've missed her for most of my life. But I guess also because I'm older now and have been through so much, and I feel the time is finally right. I'm proud of the woman I've become, and I want to see what kind of woman my sister is."

Phil smiled at that, though it was a wistful smile. "That's true, my little Amelia isn't a child anymore. You'll be 18 in a couple of months. You are truly an amazing young woman."

Amelia blushed at her father's kind words, then rushed at him and threw her arms around his neck.

"I love you, daddy!" she exclaimed, tears in her eyes. "I'll never be too old to say that!"

Phil fought back tears of his own and returned her hug.

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" He asked, quietly.

"Hopefully not long," Amelia answered, breaking the hug. "In fact, I hope to have found her by the time of my 18th birthday. I'd rather have that as my goal, instead of just searching aimlessly."

"Speaking of searching aimlessly," Phil said, "I don't want you going alone. Where's that bodyguard of yours?"

Amelia couldn't help but smile at the mention of her dear friend, Zelgadis.

"He's actually on his way back now. I told him I would be asking your permission to go on this journey, and he said he'd leave right away and be back by the time you said yes."

The hulking Prince feigned surprise. "You two act like you already knew I'd agree!"

Amelia beamed up at her father. "Of course you'd agree! It would be the just thing to do!"

Then she winked at him and left the room.

* * *

"ZELGADIS-SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!" Amelia happily flung herself into the arms of her best friend and personal bodyguard, Zelgadis Greywords, who had only been able to take two steps inside the palace before being assaulted.

The chimera wasn't harmed by her excited display of affection, of course, but even the tiny princess was able to push him off balance a bit. Amelia was very small but very energetic! 

"Hi, Amelia," Zelgadis gave her a quick hug back and a lopsided half-smile. Someone just passing by may have been offended by the heavily robed sorcerer's familiarity with the princess, but one of the great things about Amelia was the fact she never abused her power or asked to be treated any differently than anyone else. Zelgadis had always admired that about her, among other things.

Taking his hand in hers and half-dragging him along behind her, Amelia began talking animatedly about her plans.

"As soon as you're fed and rested we can head out! We'll just stop in and let daddy know and..."

"Whoa, Amelia," Zelgadis put the brakes on, digging his heels in and stopping her in her tracks. "What's the hurry?"

Amelia released his hand and looked a bit sheepish. "To be honest, I kind of want to get going before I change my mind."

Zelgadis gave her a quizzical look. "Why would you change your mind? You've missed your sister for as long as I've known you..."

"I know, I know," Amelia cut him off. "But I guess that's why I'm also a little nervous. I haven't seen her for nearly 13 years. What if she doesn't remember me? What if...she doesn't like me?"

Amelia looked down at her feet and sighed, then felt a hand under her chin, making her look up again.

Zelgadis gave her a supportive smile and a playful nudge on the chin before pulling his hand away.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about," he told her. "I can't imagine anyone not liking you."

Before Amelia could really reflect on that statement, her father entered the room and exclaimed, "Ah, Zelgadis-dono! Thank you so much for coming quickly!"

Zelgadis gave Phil a respectful nod. The chimera considered the Prince a friend, especially since being knighted by the man and given the title of Amelia's protector, but he still treated him with the utmost respect. Probably more respect than he gave most other people, in fact.

"Daddy, I think we're just going to head out now! If that's all right with you, Zelgadis-san?"

"Sure, whatever you want, Amelia," Zelgadis said with a shrug.

The Prince leaned down and gave his daughter a warm hug and kiss on top of the head.

"Be careful, my dear. And good luck."

* * *

Amelia and Zelgadis set off on foot with just a small sack of provisions, which Zelgadis carried over one shoulder.

As the Seyruun royal palace disappeared into the distance, Amelia's mood abruptly changed. Her normally bright face was solemn and serious.

"Amelia?" Zelgadis finally broke the silence that had fallen between them. "Something on your mind?"

The petite princess stopped with her back to her friend, then turned slowly to face him, looking determined.

"Zelgadis," she began, (she had stopped using her usual honorific with him after the battle at Taforashia, but only when they were in private) "I have done something incredibly unjust."

Zelgadis' expression was incredulous. "I find that hard to believe."

Amelia took a deep breath and plunged on. "I lied to my father, and to you. Part of me wanted to keep you out of it for your own protection. Every time I've seen you hurt in battle, it's destroyed a little part of me. But a bigger and more selfish part of me couldn't bear to go on this journey without you. So here we are."

Zelgadis approached his much shorter counterpart and placed both of his hands on her shoulders. Amelia wasn't acting like herself, and he was a lot more worried about her than he wanted to let on.

"Amelia, whatever you've done or said or plan to do...I'll always stay by your side. Okay?"

"You might change your mind after you hear what I have to say," Amelia was biting on her lower lip and had her watery eyes turned to the ground.

"Then TELL ME!" Zelgadis snapped. He wasn't angry with her, but she was beginning to make him very anxious.

"Come on, then," she said, finally looking up at him. He removed his hands from her shoulders and linked elbows with him, then used her free hand to sit lightly on top of his.

"Let's go somewhere quiet and talk."

* * *

The inn was small and old, but clean. It was also quite empty, which was just fine with Zelgadis. Having blue skin and pointy ears attracted more attention than he liked.

Amelia was curled up on her bed, clad in a long modest nightgown. Her bare feet poked out from underneath, and she leaned against the sill of the open window. The cool night breeze blew gently against her face, ruffling her hair and sending it flying in waves all around her.

Zelgadis sat on the opposite bed, watching her. Normally, he would enjoy a moment like this. The two companions had many comfortable silences between them, and had progressed to sharing the same inn room to save their traveling funds. Two beds, of course (or if not, Zelgadis always took the floor and left the bed for the princess) but even that might have seemed scandalous to anyone not familiar with the two of them.

Actually, truth be told, there was no one particularly familiar with the two of them, or their special friendship. Not even Lina Inverse or Gourry Gabriev, the only two people who had known them the longest and been with them through the most harrowing adventures. But Amelia and Zelgadis kept things toned down, even in front of their closest friends. There was an unspoken understanding between the two. Amelia was Amelia, but she was still a princess, a priestess, and a powerful sorceress. She was someone born into a world that was sometimes beyond Zelgadis' comprehension.

He, on the other hand, was a chimera. Amelia never saw him as such, and reminded him of that fact every time he brought it up, but it was still true. Over the years, he had let what he was define him as a person. He didn't feel he was that much different than the young human man training in the woods on the day his only living relative had cursed him with a golem body and a low level demon's blood, but he didn't really remember that much about how he was back then. Sure, maybe now he was a bit more jaded and touchy and grouchy, but who didn't get that way as they grew older?

Well, Amelia never got that way.

Which brought Zelgadis back to the matter at hand. The way Amelia was suddenly acting was not like the young woman he had known for nearly five years.

Amelia saying his name pulled Zelgadis out of his reverie.

"Yes?" he blinked at her, somewhat stupidly.

"We've fought Ruby Eye Shabranigdo twice now, and then Lina-san and Gourry-san fought him again when he reawakened inside that man they had become friends with. Our two times happened to be part of the same piece, so it only counts as one." She paused and gave a small laugh that lacked humor. "It sure didn't feel like one, though."

Zelgadis nodded.

"You know the story. Flare Dragon Ceiphied split the Demon Lord into seven pieces. One is asleep inside Lei Magnus in the frozen north. One was inside Rezo, and one inside that man, Luke. That accounts for three pieces."

Zelgadis remained silent. He considered himself a smart man, but he had no idea where Amelia was going with this.

"That leaves four pieces unaccounted for." Amelia continued. "Which means they will eventually be released into the world, and when that happens we may not be around to stop it. What if Lina-san isn't even around to stop it? Who would do so?"

Amelia had been talking as if to someone outside her window, but now she turned to the quiet chimera who sat across from her, unmoving like the hated stone that covered his body.

"Zelgadis, it's our destiny to stop that from happening. Our responsibility. It all started when we were dragged into a friendship with The Enemy of All Who Live. Ha! If only they knew she was really the Advocate and Defender of All Who Live!"

Zelgadis held up a gloved hand to stop Amelia from launching into a Justice Speech.

"Hang on one minute. How is it suddenly our problem? Lina is the one who always manages to defeat the damned thing."

Amelia nodded. "Exactly. We all do what we can, but Lina-san is the one who beats it in the end. But I think she's done enough, don't you? Lina is like the sister I never had. Everything I said earlier about Gracia is true...I do miss her and wish I had a big sister to look up to. But she left me. Lina never has, and I feel like I owe her a great debt. She has saved this entire WORLD, Zelgadis! Every living thing, whether man or animal or dragon or Mazoku! Don't you think she deserves to live in a world where she won't have to worry about facing the Demon Lord anymore?"

Zelgadis crossed his arms in front of his chest. "And just what are you proposing?"

"We find them," Amelia said, matter-of-factly. "We find the remaining four people possessed by shards of Ruby Eye Shabranigdo. Then we make sure the shards awaken, and we destroy him before he has a chance to hurt anyone else ever again."

If he had not valued his composure, Zelgadis was sure his jaw would have hit the floor and he would have been drooling all over the place in utter disbelief.

As it were, Zelgadis took in the big blue eyes of the princess of Seyruun, and saw the fear hidden there. The fear of his reaction. Of his anger. Of his admonishment.

So the former dark-hearted mystical swordsman did the only thing he could think to do.

"Fine. Where do we start?"


	2. Sunlight and Shadows

The next morning, Zelgadis woke up feeling like he'd just gone through a round of fisticuffs with the Lord of Nightmares. He rolled over in bed with a groan and saw that Amelia's bed was already empty.

The Shaman had to admit to himself that it was either insanity, or some other emotion he'd rather not deal with, that made him agree to Amelia's hair-brained and possibly suicidal plan. He propelled himself out of bed and headed downstairs to find Amelia sitting alone at a small table by a window, her face turned to the bright morning sunlight. In front of her was a half eaten piece of toast and an empty teacup.

What really surprised him was what she was wearing. Dressed in a fitted black tunic that was cinched at the waist by a tan leather belt, then tight tan pants in the same hue as the belt, and black boots, Amelia looked nothing like the woman he knew. He had never seen her wear dark clothing at all. Her traveling clothes were usually white, because she was still convinced that only villains wore black, and the dresses she favored when she was home in Seyruun were usually pink.

Zelgadis tentatively approached his friend, trying to gauge her mood.

"Good morning," he said, quietly.

The very tired looking princess turned his way and gave him a big smile.

"Morning," she greeted in return. "I ordered you a cup of coffee."

With a grin, Zelgadis sat down across from her and said, "What did I do to deserve you?"

Amelia shrugged and played along. "I don't know. I guess by being a stand-up kind of guy. Or you're just lucky."

A bored looking waitress brought Zelgadis his coffee and shot Amelia a disapproving look. Zelgadis noticed, of course, but Amelia didn't.

"Why so glum all of a sudden?" Amelia asked when her friend's face fell and he heaved a large sigh. "You were impressing me with your cheery disposition, especially this early in the morning."

"Didn't you see the way that waitress looked at us just now?" Zelgadis answered, keeping his voice low.

"No."

"Of course you didn't. Well, when she saw us together she looked at you like she'd swallowed a lemon. Probably wondering what a pretty girl like you is doing with an ugly thing like me."

Here we go again, Amelia thought, resisting an eyeroll. She always tried desperately to be sensitive to Zelgadis' situation and his feelings about it, but after so many years it was becoming tiresome. No matter how she tried to boost his ego, it never seemed to work for long. Maybe it was time for some tough love.

"Zelgadis," she said, sternly. "I get tired of hearing you talk that way about yourself. To me, you're no different than anyone else. Wait, no, that's not true. You're BETTER than everyone else. Plus I've told you a dozen times that if you didn't have that body, we probably would have been killed by Mazoku and Lina-san's explosions ten times over by now."

She reached over the table and placed a hand on top of his. He noticed she was wearing black fingerless gloves, and he didn't know how to feel about that.

"Not to mention that only a very special man would put up with me and my crazy ideas."

Zelgadis dared to smile a bit at that. "And by 'special' you mean 'crazy', right?"

Amelia giggled. "Maybe a little."

He turned his hand over so that he was palm-to-palm with the princess. She squeezed her fingers a bit tighter around his and the two looked at each other over the table, their eyes lingering for a bit longer than they usually allowed themselves.

Then they heard someone clear their throat.

The princess and the chimera whipped their heads around and pulled their hands back into their own laps. The man who had suddenly appeared next to their table seemed to be sizing them up. He was much older than either of them, and his clothes hung in rags off his slender limbs. Amelia seemed less surprised by their visitor than Zelgadis was. In fact, her lack of concern was the only thing keeping Zelgadis from beating the crap out of the creeper.

After what felt like an eternity of just being stared at, the strange man broke out into a huge smile (he was missing at least four front teeth) and slapped Zelgadis on the back. Hard.

"You sure know how to pick 'em, boy! Can't say I approve of keeping a woman around, but I can't say I blame you in this case!" Then he threw his head back and let out a laugh that could scare a banshee. Amelia shuddered involuntarily.

"...And you are?" Zelgadis finally managed.

The man abruptly stopped laughing. "I'm Lennox, genius. Aren't you the thief that called me here for a meeting?"

Amelia fidgeted slightly in her seat. "Actually, that would be me."

The man called Lennox looked skeptical. "Young lady, YOU are the master thief with interest in the occult that called me here?"

Amelia gave a nod, and shot Zelgadis a look that clearly said that he needed to keep his mouth shut right now.

Pulling up a seat and making himself comfortable, Lennox leaned in and began talking.

"I guess I'll start at the beginning, then. You're interested in the Cult of Shabranigdo. Well, they started centuries ago. Humans bent on causing the same destruction that Mazoku long for, except I don't think they quite grasp the meaning, if you know what I'm saying."

Amelia had no idea what he was saying, but she nodded anyway.

"Small groups of them exist all over the world, except in places like Seyruun where white magic barriers and whatnot could cause them more trouble than they'd care to deal with."

For his part, Zelgadis was listening intently. He was finally starting to understand Amelia's plan.

"There's actually a faction of them nearby. They're very secretive, but are always looking to recruit. If they stay too closed off to outsiders, their cult would die off."

"If we become members," Zelgadis chimed in, "Would we be able to help with their cause? For example, looking for those who bear a piece of the Dark Lord's soul?"

"Of course!" Lennox exclaimed. Noticing the suspicious looks from the waitress and a few other patrons, he lowered his voice.

"In fact, trying to reawaken Lord Ruby Eyes is their main goal. Nearly twenty years ago they went after some guy named Radok who lived in Vezendi."

Amelia and Zelgadis exchanged a wide-eyed glance but said nothing.

"This guy, Radok, they thought he might have a piece of the soul. So they chained him up, killed his young wife in front of him, and waited. They left him like that for a long time. He must have seen her body decay before his eyes. They denied him food and water. All of it was done with the hope it would cause him enough distress to release the Dark Lord. It takes a catalyst like that, you know. Either that, or the soul will wear a human down if they live long enough. Take over their own soul. Possess them."

Zelgadis narrowed his eyes at that and Amelia shot him a knowing look.

"Anyway," the man pushed back his chair with a loud screech of wood on wood and stood up. "Come with me if you want to reach their hideout before nightfall."

With that, he turned and headed out of the inn without so much as a look back over his shoulder.

Amelia quickly threw some coins on the table and she and Zelgadis took off after Lennox.

* * *

They had been walking in silence for hours. Amelia was achy and hungry, and Zelgadis was beginning to think Lennox was a quack with no idea where he was going.

The two kept themselves as far back from Lennox as they could, and Zelgadis finally spoke quietly to his friend.

"So, Miss Master Thief, what should I call you from now on?"

Amelia blushed slightly and said, "I haven't actually thought of a name yet. I didn't realize the man I bribed for information would arrive so quickly."

"How much did you bribe him with?" Zelgadis asked, somewhat concerned.

"Er...quite a bit."

They were silent once more, but then suddenly Zelgadis said, "I'm going to call you Lia."

"What now?" Amelia was totally lost.

"I'm going to call you Lia. It's a shortened version of your real name, but not as obvious as Ame."

Amelia smiled up at her bodyguard. "I like it. Should I call you something?"

Zelgadis grinned down at her. "Don't bother, we'd never get away with it. I don't think there are that many chimera men running around the world, so my cover is already blown."

Lennox stopped so abruptly in front of them that they nearly ran him over.

"We're here," the man said, all humor and excitement gone from his voice.

Here seemed to be nothing more than a damp cave in the side of a small mountain. It smelled of mud and moss, and Amelia wrinkled her nose.

"This is where we part ways," Lennox said. He held out his hand, and Zelgadis gasped as Amelia placed a large bag of gold in his palm.

"Thank you for your time, Lennox," Amelia said.

The man nodded curtly and walked away.

"He could have at least wished us good luck," Zelgadis said, sarcastically.

Amelia steeled herself and gave the chimera a shaky smile. "Are you ready? You can always turn back. It's not too late."

Zelgadis shook his head. "And leave you alone in a cave filled with dangerous sociopaths bent on world destruction? I don't think so."

Amelia grabbed Zelgadis' pinky finger with her own, taking comfort and strength from the contact.

"All right, then." She said. "Let's go."


	3. Suicide and Friendship

Callin Remcheck was not a patient man. He was also not a nice man. His haggard appearance and scarred face added to the image he tried to portray to those around him. He should be respected, admired, and feared.

But Callin Remcheck was a tired man. He was tired of searching, and tired of the youthful exuberance of his Cult's newer members. None of them understood the true meaning of resurrecting the Lord of all Mazoku. They thought they did, of course. But for some reason or another, most of them didn't quite realize that 'world destruction' meant that they would be dead. Most of them seemed to think that the Demon Lord would honor them somehow. But, no, Callin knew they would all be returned to the Sea of Chaos and would no longer have to worry about their worthless human lives.

"Boss," The voice of a young woman named Reannik cut through his thoughts.

"What is it, Rea?" Callin said in what he thought was his sinister voice. He tried not to sigh.

"We have company. A man and a woman, both wanting to be members. The man is...suspicious. He doesn't seem to be quite human."

Callin did sigh then, and stood up to follow Rea to the common area where the Cult members gathered.

Amelia was trying not to fidget, but her nerves were getting the best of her. Zelgadis had taken her by the hand halfway into the cave because she was about to turn back and forget about her entire plan. But then the stubborn chimera told her that he wasn't one to give up that easily, and he'd feel bad if she wasted such a large bag of gold for no good reason. Even if they ended up being turned away by the Cult, Zelgadis was sure they could collect more information from them first. He wasn't feeling particularly nervous, himself. He and Amelia had enough magic between them to blow up the whole damn place if things went sideways.

So he had nearly dragged Amelia into a large common area, where they were greeted by a strangely cheerful young woman who introduced herself as Rea, and then they were sat down at a large round wooden table and served tea.

As they sat, apparently waiting for the leader, Zelgadis had kept his hand upon Amelia's in hopes that she would realize that he would be there to help keep them both safe.

It didn't quite stop the nervous twitch that she had developed in her left eye, however.

A twitch which increased at the sight of the Cult of Shabranigdo's leader, a man introduced as Callin.

"So, what brings you here today?" Callin asked, bluntly, as he sat down across from the two travelers.

"We...we want to join up!" Amelia exclaimed. She fought down the blush that threatened her cheeks and prayed that she didn't actually sound as phony as she thought she did.

"Is that so? Callin said, quite rhetorically.

Amelia and Zelgadis both nodded.

"Fine, you actually have good timing. In exactly one week we'll be following a lead that we've been working on for close to five years now. Capturing the subject won't be easy, so part of your induction ritual will be to help us out. You help us get her, you're in. You flake out, you're dead. Sound good?"

Callin sat back and crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking at the two with a mix of boredom and total apathy.

It wasn't good. It wasn't good at all. But the princess and the chimera had no choice but to go along with the old man.

"Sounds great," Zelgadis said, sounding a lot more convincing than Amelia. He even followed it up with a menacing smirk. Amelia was impressed.

Callin stood up and curtly walked out of the room. On his way, he ordered Rea to give their new recruits a room.

"This way!" Rea cheerly called, and Amelia and Zelgadis rose to follow her.

* * *

The cave was enormous. Caverns carved in the walls separated into what seemed like hundreds of rooms. Amelia found herself thinking that she'd never get the damp smell out of her clothes.

"Here we are! Welcome to your new home!" Rea spread her arms wide with much fanfare and presented the room to her two new companions.

It was what you'd imagine a room inside a cave to look like. There was a lone double bed pushed against one muddy wall, and a small bedside table with a lantern.

"Oh, we don't each get a room?" Amelia wondered out loud.

Rea looked confused, "Well, we're pretty full right now. I just assumed the two of your were lovers so..."

Amelia's face went beet red at the word 'lovers' and the way Rea innocently used it. Zelgadis cleared his throat, then surprised Amelia by throwing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him.

"Of course we are! She's just bashful, aren't you, honey?"

Amelia nodded, her brain having drained completely from her head and out her ears. She figured this must be what Gourry usually felt like.

"Oh, great!" Rea clapped her hands together merrily and ushered them into the room.

"Rea, can we ask you some more question to get...acquainted...with the situation here?" Zelgadis asked as he took a seat on the foot of the bed. Amelia plopped down next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. Just going along with their ruse, of course.

"Certainly! I'm more than happy to help!" squealed the perky and overzealous lover of evil and world destruction.

"Actually," Rea said, "I was wondering...er...what are your names?"

"I'm Zelgadis," the chimera answered for both of them, "And this is my fiancée, Lia. It's a little strange that your leader didn't even care about our names, or anything else about us. Normally people at least ask me what the hell I am, or where I came from."

"Oh, that's Callin for you!" Rea exclaimed. "You'll have to forgive him, but he doesn't care about anyone or trust anyone until they prove their worth to him. So he doesn't really care what your names are, where you're from, or even if you're human or not! He will when you help us capture the next subject, though!"

"About that," Amelia finally piped in, having come to grips with the whole pretending-to-be-Zelgadis'-fiancée-which-has-a-nice-ring-to-it situation, "Can you tell us more about this subject? Since we plan on doing our best to help because we really want to be members, I'd like to have a hint as to what we'll be dealing with."

Rea looked from side to side as if checking for spies in the room, then quietly said, "I really shouldn't say anything, since part of the test is going in blind, but since I really like you guys I'll tell you. There has been a rumor going around for many years now of a girl with red eyes, like those of the Dark Lord, who has been said to slay others like herself. Because others who hold a piece of the soul have been disappearing, and only someone with incredible power could possibly destroy them. That's who we're going after next."

Amelia and Zelgadis looked at each other, their eyes wide and their blood cold.

"What is the name of this person?" Zelgadis finally managed.

"Oh," Rea said, appearing to think hard about her answer.

Amelia's heart was beating so loudly that she was afraid Rea would hear it.

"That's right," the cheerful girl went on. "I remember now!"

"It's Lina! Lina Inverse!"


	4. Enemies and Defenders

Lina Inverse considered herself an observant woman, and the few things that managed to get by her never managed to slip by her constant companion, Gourry Gabriev. All in all, they were a perfect pair. Always looking out for each other, and always on the move.

That's why, on a beautiful sunny day in autumn, with the changing leaves swirling around them on a brisk breeze, Lina Inverse was troubled by a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Gourry," she said quietly, looking up at her tall blonde partner, "Do you ever get the feeling someone is talking about you somewhere?"

"Nope," the swordsman replied with a big smile. "Though sometimes I get the feeling someone is talking about you somewhere."

Lina suppressed the urge to slap him.

"In fact," Gourry went on, "I get the feeling like we're about to be ambushed. Right about...now!"

As if on cue, a horde of people in black cloaks appeared on all sides of them.

Gourry removed the Blast Sword from its sheath and took a fighting stance, while Lina held up her hands and prepared to fire off a big defensive spell.

But their concentration was soon completely disrupted as two of the cloaked figures stepped forward. One was short and obviously female, while the other was taller and quite thin.

The two figures simultaneously removed the hoods that obstructed their features.

Lina and Gourry gaped in shock.

Standing before them, Amelia and Zelgadis wore expressions that were impossible to discern.

"Ame-" Lina began to call out to her friends, but was cut off when Amelia suddenly ran at her and planted a knee firmly in her gut.

The wind successfully knocked out of her, Lina lay groaning on the ground.

"LINA!" Gourry cried out, turning to the scene now happening behind him. Amelia didn't give Lina a chance to get up, but punched her squarely in the jaw with a magically enhanced fist, knocking her out cold.

Taking advantage of the swordsman's distraction, Zelgadis cried, "BOMB DI WIND!" and Gourry was suddenly flung back against a nearby tree. Hard.

As the blackness began closing in on him, Gourry could just make out the chimera leaning over him and whispering two words.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

ONE DAY EARLIER...

Zelgadis was used to getting strange looks, but they had been living among the Cult of Shabranigdo for nearly a week and he still felt like a sideshow attraction.

Amelia had rarely felt as horrible as she had during their time with the Cult. Not just because of the lying and deceit, or the fear they would be caught. She felt horrible because she knew Zelgadis felt like a bug under a microscope, and it was all her fault.

On their second day in "the cave" (as they'd come to call it), an older man with huge muscles and a bad attitude had approached Zelgadis and said, "Hey, you, there's a rumor that some chimera guy goes around with Lina Inverse sometimes, and since there aren't that many chimera guys around, I was thinking maybe you're him and you're trying to stop us from capturing your friend."

Then he had stared Zelgadis down, waiting for his response.

Amelia was about to jump out of her own skin with fright, but Zelgadis stayed cool and collected.

"Give me a break," he had said, his face wrinkling up in a cold sneer. "I'm not even a chimera, all my people look like this! So get out of my way before you embarrass yourself further with your ignorance!"

Amelia watched in amazement as the large man sneered back, but walked away without a word.

"Wow," she whispered in awe. "That was so cool!"

Zelgadis had broken character by blushing.

Since then, no one else had bothered them to their faces, but the looks continued.

Now it was finally the night before the mission to capture their best friend for nefarious purposes.

Amelia and Zelgadis laid in bed and stared at each other for a long time without speaking.

Zelgadis, always the gentleman, had slept on the floor the first couple of nights. But after he became more sullen and grumpy than usual, Amelia had insisted they share the bed. She explained that sleeping on a muddy cave floor also couldn't be good for his sinuses, and she was concerned about his health.

Strangely, they had begun having long and meaningful conversations in hushed whispers before drifting off to sleep together. Talking about magic theories, Zelgadis' cure, politics...they even made each other laugh about various topics, all the while throughly avoiding the one subject that loomed over their heads.

But now there was no more avoiding it.

Breaking the silence that had fallen between them, Amelia was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry about all this."

Zelgadis managed a small smile.

"I know," he said.

"Tomorrow...we can't let them hurt her."

"I know," Zelgadis said again.

Amelia reached down for the comfort of Zelgadis' hand, and wrapped her fingers through his under the blanket they shared.

The princess had closed her eyes, and she was silent for so long that Zelgadis thought she must have fallen asleep. But then she suddenly whispered, "I'm scared."

Then Zelgadis did something very unexpected. He leaned forward and gave Amelia a soft kiss on her forehead.

Amelia's eyes flew open at the gesture, and she felt heat rush to her face.

"Look, Amelia," Zelgadis plunged on before she could respond. "I want you to know that no matter what happens tomorrow..."

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

The chimera's train of thought immediately jumped the track as a loud rapping sounded at the door to their room. He shot out of bed and took a protective stance as the door swung open.

Callin Remcheck stood in the doorway, looking as apathetic as ever, with Rea smiling cheerfully behind him.

"Sorry for the intrusion," the man said, not sounding sorry at all. "I've come to discuss your roles in tomorrow's extraction."

"Extraction?" Zelgadis repeated, not bothering to keep the confusion out of his voice.

"Yes," Callin continued. "Our goal is to extract the subject, Lina Inverse, from her companion Gourry Gabriev. We understand he is in possession of a very powerful enchanted sword, although full details are unknown. As it stands, we do know he's a very skilled swordsman capable of killing many of our less skilled members easily."

Callin entered their room, leaving Rea behind, and closed the door.

"We don't care how she is taken, as long as she is taken alive. We don't care if Gabriev is killed in the process, although we do wish to take him alive if at all possible He could to be used later to coax the Dark Lord from the girl."

Zelgadis and Amelia listened intently to the man, completely awestruck at the insane lengths he seemed willing to go to in order to achieve his goal.

Callin began pacing slightly, though never losing his ridged posture or air of command.

"As our newest members, in order to prove yourselves to me, I am putting you both on the front lines. You will listen and learn my attack strategies, but in the end I want you two to be the ones to take Inverse."

Amelia opened her mouth to say something, but Zelgadis interrupted her.

"With all due respect, we don't want anything to do with your attack strategies."

"Excuse me?" Callin said, stopping to stare at the chimera.

"You won't be needing them," Zelgadis continued. "All you need to do is send Lia and myself to confront Inverse and Gabriev. They won't attack us."

"And why the hell wouldn't they?" Callin snapped. "It will be obvious who you're with, and what you've come for!"

Amelia finally piped in. "That may be so. But you have to understand...Lina Inverse will know us. In the confusion, we will be able to take her down easily. You see, we met her once before. She even owes us a favor."

"A...favor?" Callin was incredulous.

"That's right," Zelgadis said, easily picking up on Amelia's lie. "We helped her out once with a heist. All the rumors about her are true, she's one mean bitch. She steals from everyone, and keeps her lapdog Gabriev around for muscle. He's dumb as a stump, though. Once they see us, we can use the element of surprise to our advantage."

"Well...this is certainly a pleasant coincidence. How fortunate for me that two people perfectly suited to capture our target showed up on my doorstep." Callin did not even attempt to hide the hints of sarcasm and distrust in his voice.

After a moment of tense eye-contact with Zelgadis, Callin finally sighed and said, "Very well, we will do it your way. See you tomorrow."

With that, he opened the door to leave, and Rea unceremoniously tumbled into the room and landed on her face.

"I wasn't eavesdropping, I swear!" She cried as Callin sighed again and walked over her. She got up and followed him like a trained dog.

After the door was closed once more, Amelia shakily got out of bed and walked to Zelgadis. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and said, "We're really going to have to attack Lina-san, aren't we?"

"Yes," Zelgadis answered, not moving.

"But it's for the greater good, right? We have to pretend to hurt her in order to save her?"

Zelgadis said nothing for a long while. Finally, he reached up and laid his hands on top of Amelia's.

"I don't know anymore."

* * *

Lina Inverse opened her eyes but was greeted with more darkness, and a pounding headache.

To her left, she heard a low groan. Recognizing it as Gourry's, she attempted to reach out to him, only to discover that her hands were shackled to a wall.

"Gourry," she hissed. "Are you all right?"

"Lina," he said, sounding a bit lost. "Were those people really Amelia and Zelgadis?"

Lina gritted her teeth. "Obviously, Gourry. Who else would they be?"

"I don't know," he said, "Magic doubles? Long lost twins?"

"Gourry, just stop, I'm not in the mood right now," Lina said with a sigh. "As far as I can tell, it was really them. But...I know there has to be some explanation for this."

"I could break out of these shackles pretty easily," Gourry said, catching on quickly to Lina's plan.

"Yeah, me too," she said. "But for now I think we should just play along. Maybe then we can figure out what's going on. Zel and Amelia could be in trouble."

"Good idea!" Gourry said, and Lina could hear the smile in his voice.

After a moment of silence, Lina heard the sound of Gourry quietly snoring. She smiled, herself. That man could sleep anywhere.

* * *

"That was too easy," Callin said more to himself than to his closest (and possibly most annoying) subordinate, Rea.

"Well, it did happen just as they said it would, sir!" Rea chirped.

"Indeed it did. I have to admit, Inverse and Gabriev did seem surprised. I don't think it was a set-up. At least, not that part."

"Sir, maybe you're being a bit paranoid," Rea said, speaking more boldly than she usually did. "They delivered the target to us, as they promised. What more could you want?"

Callin allowed himself a grim smile. "Rea, there are certain lessons you have to learn in life in order to stay alive. Remember when you came to me and admitted you let the name of the target slip to them a week ago?"

"Yes, sir," Rea answered, bowing her head in shame.

"Then explain to me why they didn't tell you then, or come tell me, that they know Lina Inverse and could use their knowledge of her to help us?"

Rea opened her mouth to speak, but then immediately closed it.

"I can't, sir," she admitted.

"They waited until the last possible moment, and only after I said we were going to attack Inverse and Gabriev as a group," Callin went on. "Rea, I need you to put yourself close to them. Do what you do best and become their friend. Have them confide in you. There is something going on here, and I want to know what it is."

Rea nodded. "I won't let you down, sir!"

"Good. In the meantime, let's start working on pinpointing the next target. I'm very close. There's a girl, a sorcery doctor, who has recently reached adolescence. Her name is Runan, and while she doesn't fit as many of the specs as Inverse, I have a good feeling about her."

Rea nodded animatedly.

"Besides," Callin added. "Even if I'm wrong, it doesn't matter. She'll just be another sacrifice on this road of ours. After all, I've made mistakes before. No one is perfect."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick funny story – I was watching Slayers NEXT with my husband a long while ago, and after the part where Lina gets the information about the real nature of the Giga Slave from the Claire Bible, I said, "That was kind of messed up that she didn't ask about Zel's cure while she was in there. It would have only taken a second." To which my husband (who had seen the first season, keep in mind) responded, "Cure for what?" 
> 
> I stared at him a while and then said, "For being a chimera." 
> 
> Then with complete seriousness he said, "Oh. I just thought all his people looked like that." 
> 
> So I gave that line to Zel to use in this story, because I couldn't help myself!


	5. Love and Mistakes

Zelgadis and Amelia looked up in surprise as the door to their room opened without so much as a knock.

Callin gazed at them apathetically as Rea bounced around behind him like some kind of drugged up hummingbird.

"I need to speak to you alone, please," Callin said, addressing Amelia.

"Anything you need to say to her, you can say in front of me," Zelgadis practically growled as Amelia rose to follow the cultist out of the room. He grabbed Amelia's wrist and she looked at him in confusion.

"It's fine," Amelia said, flashing her companion a reassuring smile.

Zelgadis looked between Amelia and Callin for a long moment before reluctantly releasing the princess. If he hadn't let her go, it would seem as if they didn't trust Callin, and that was a situation they were desperately trying to avoid.

He watched with a nervousness he hoped Callin didn't notice as Amelia left with the man. Rea stayed behind and invited herself in to wait with Zelgadis.

The ditzy girl sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at the chimera absently.

"What do you want?" Zelgadis finally snapped, impatiently.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go see the prisoners?" Rea chirped with a smile.

"No," Zelgadis answered without a moment's hesitation. "I have no interest in them."

Rea gave a melodramatic sigh and stood up, swinging her arms childishly.

"Suit yourself," she said, "But this may be your last chance to see them. Callin plans to torture the big dumb blonde to death so that the Dark Lord will release Himself from the Inverse girl."

Zelgadis started at Rea with his mouth hanging slightly open.

"I've changed my mind," he finally said. "You're right, I should see them before they die. Because we both know that one way or another, neither of them are getting out of here alive."

Rea nodded and left the room without looking back to see if she was being followed.

* * *

The cell was dark, dank and utterly hopeless.

"I need to talk to them alone, Rea," Zelgadis said in what he hoped was a menacing way.

"I don't know..." Rea began, but changed her mind when she saw the expression on the chimera's face.

"Sure, but not too long, okay?" She said before bounding out of the room.

Zelgadis crouched down and looked through the rickety bars of the small cell. He was greeted by the angry red eyes of Lina Inverse.

"You had better have a damn good explanation for this, Zel!" Lina snapped at him before grabbing through the bars for his neck.

Zelgadis jumped back and stammered in a single breath, "It was Amelia's idea! She thought we could find the remaining humans with pieces of Shabranigdu's soul and cleanse the world of the Dark Lord once and for all or whatever other justice crap she said! We were trying to help you!"

Lina cracked her knuckles, and a quick Damu Bras later had herself and Gourry free of the cell.

"Zel," Lina said, softening her voice and expression. "I suppose that's a nice thought, but it was extremely stupid and dangerous for you guys to try something like this. I guess I'm not surprised Amelia came up with the idea since it involves vanquishing evil, but I'm disappointed in you. You know better."

At the chimera's shameful expression, Lina grinned and asked, "What in Ceiphied's name made you go along with such a crazy scheme, anyway?"

Zelgadis looked at the tiny sorceress for a long while without answering. Lina got the idea that he was not actually seeing her, but something inside his own mind.

Why had he gone along with Amelia's crazy plan? He knew it was reckless, dangerous, and otherwise unrecommended. But she had been so sincere in her desire to help Lina and the world. She had looked at him with those eyes that so often seemed to seek his approval, and he hadn't been able to tell her no.

In fact, now that he thought about it, Zelgadis couldn't remember the last time he had denied Amelia anything.

Shit.

Just like that, he understood why he had done everything in his life for the last four years or so.

The relentless search for his cure that led him back to Seyruun time and time again. He always told himself it was because the white magic capitol could provide a stepping stone to the next lead. He almost always found something new and interesting in the palace library.

And Amelia was always there. Dusting off heavy tomes and sneezing, happily looking through watery eyes as she handed him something she thought would be helpful. She was allergic to the dust, that much was obvious, yet she never said a word.

And he had never said a word. He had never told her that she was the reason he kept coming back. He never told her that he did still want a cure, but it wasn't just for himself anymore. He never told her that she made him feel like he had a home.

"I did it," Zelgadis finally answered Lina's inquiry in a voice barely above a whisper, "For her."

* * *

"What did you need to talk to me about?" Amelia finally asked after walking outside in the woods with Callin for ten minutes of awkward silence.

"I simply wanted to discuss our next move with you. We plan to find a healer, a magic doctor, named Runan. At least, that's the name she goes by. She's actually a young woman named Kira who was taught by her grandfather and took his name. I understand she's really quite good at what she does. Someone who can heal magic maladies...I think she's a good lead."

"Sure," Amelia agreed, trying to force a smile. "Sounds good to me."

"And then after that," Callin went on, "I've heard of a sorceress who used to travel with Lina Inverse. If Inverse turns out to be a dead end, we'll go for her old partner."

"Er," Amelia stammered, not liking the direction this conversation was taking, "A sorceress who used to travel with Lina Inverse? But I thought she only traveled with that big blonde guy?"

"Yes, for many years. But before that, there were reports of a tall, very busty sorceress who used to hang around with Inverse. Very long dark hair, with a penchant for Freeze Arrows."

Amelia let out the breath she'd been holding. For a moment, she was afraid she was going to be the next target. Luckily, she had never been described by anyone as "tall" with "very long hair." Keeping it short meant less prep time and more time for fighting evil and injustice!

"Do you have a name?" Amelia asked, legitimately interested.

"Naga...something or other. Some long pointless title."

"Na...ga?" Amelia murmured, her heart dropping into her stomach. She hadn't heard that name in a very long time...

"Anyway, we'll worry more about that later." Callin continued. "I was very impressed by the way you and your friend handled Inverse and Gabriev."

"Oh...thanks," Amelia said, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. Something in Callin's voice didn't seem right.

"It was quite easy, wouldn't you say?" Callin continued. "So easy, in fact, that I think I'm going to keep you close for a while until I figure out what your game is. Sound good?"

Before Amelia could even process what the cultist had said, his fist shot out and connected cleanly with her jaw. Blinded by pain, Amelia was flung helplessly into a nearby tree where she desperately fought unconsciousness.

"Zelgadis...Gracia..." she mumbled as she tried to keep her eyes open. But the world was quickly fading to black, and the last thing she saw was the scarred and apathetic face of Callin Remcheck.

* * *

"Let's get you two out of here," Zelgadis whispered as he led Lina and Gourry to the exit. "They have some pretty nasty stuff planned."

"I figured as much," Lina whispered back.

"Going somewhere?" came an unexpected male voice from behind them.

The three friends whirled to see that Callin had snuck up from behind through an entrance they had never even noticed in the darkness.

"I would suggest that you three have a seat back inside that cell that I'm now going to have to fix, thank you Ms. Inverse."

Lina held her hands up in a defensive pose and Zelgadis began to do the same when Callin kicked a dark lump at his feet that they had not noticed before.

The lump moaned slightly, and Zelgadis easily recognized the messy plum-colored hair.

"AMELIA!" He screeched in anger, preparing to release a world of hurt on the cult leader.

"ZEL!" Gourry surprised the chimera by stiff-arming him and knocking him back a bit. "Don't do anything, he's too close to Amelia and could hurt her before you finish casting a spell."

It only took Zelgadis a moment to realize that Gourry was right. The swordsman was always the best strategist, so the chimera gritted his teeth and lowered his hands.

"Now, once again, if you please," Callin said, motioning toward the dark cell.

Lina, Gourry and Zelgadis reluctantly stepped into the damaged cell and sat on a bench against the far wall.

"That's better," Callin said with an amused smirk. "Now that I have your attention, I want you to know that I'll be holding on to this girl until my plans have come to fruition. You three will not stop me from obtaining my next two targets. In the meantime..." He trailed off as four huge warriors entered the room and took up stances around the opening of the cell.

"These gentleman will be questioning Mr. Gabriev."

"Over my dead body!" Lina yelled, standing up and marching toward Callin without thinking.

Callin kicked the Amelia-lump at his feet again, eliciting another moan of pain.

Lina froze. Quickly assessing the situation, she realized that Amelia was really out of the equation and could easily have a dozen broken bones for all they knew.

But she couldn't allow anything to happen to Gourry.

She wouldn't.

"Fine, you giant flaming ass," Lina said to Callin in her cockiest voice, "You win."

"WHAT?" Gourry and Zelgadis yelled, simultaneously.

"I'm the target," Lina continued, never taking her eyes off Callin. "So do whatever you think you have to do to me, but leave my friends out of it. All of them." The last she said with a pointed look at Amelia.

Callin seemed to consider her offer for a long moment before firmly stating, "No."

With that, he effortlessly hoisted Amelia and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and left the others to their fate.


	6. Fear and Forgiveness

"You'll never get away with this, fiend!" Amelia yelled at her captors while pulling futilely at the shackles on her wrists.

Callin didn't looked terribly concerned, though Rea looked between her leader and the young woman with something akin to abject terror.

"I'm afraid I already have, princess," Callin stated with little emotion.

Amelia was taken aback.

"What did you just call me?" she found herself whispering.

"I know who you are, of course." Callin continued, no longer caring to play along. It was tiresome.

"I didn't at first, but I put some feelers out and thought back to rumors I'd heard regarding neighboring kingdoms. I make it my business to know what politicians and royalty are up to, you see. I received confirmation of something I had caught wind of a few weeks ago...the princess of Seyruun had left on some unknown journey with her chimera escort. I didn't know you were a princess when you first came to me, but imagine my delight when I put two and two together. I should thank you for making my capture of Lina Inverse so much easier and vastly more interesting. After all, there was no question that I'd use your relationship with her to my own advantage."

As Amelia listened, her stomach twisted in knots. It was all her fault, after all. Not to mention, it was nearly impossible to imagine Callin delighted by anything. But that was neither here nor there.

The cult leader clasped his hands behind his back and said very seriously,"But there is something I've been wondering all this time. The chimera...does it have to follow your orders? Did you create it? Would it work for someone else?"

At that, Amelia's eyes narrowed in renewed fury.

"Zelgadis does not blindly follow orders from anyone. He's much more human than you, and I did not turn him into what he is!"

"Ah, pity," Callin replied, stepping closer to Amelia. "I was hoping it would be as easy as having you relay my orders to him."

He then reached up and squeezed Amelia's cheeks between his fingers, as if she was some misbehaving child. She tried to bite him, but to no avail.

Stepping back again, Callin continued, "However, he obviously has a weakness. Much like the Inverse girl's, in fact. And I am quite good at using people's weaknesses against them."

Amelia glared, but said nothing. After all, there was nothing left to say. Callin had her, her plan had failed, and deep in her heart she knew that all Callin had to do was threaten her life to get Zelgadis to do his bidding.

Because, like the 'Inverse girl' who once so desperately wanted to save save her swordsman that she cast the Giga Slave, Amelia knew that Zelgadis would do anything to keep her safe.

For a moment, she lamented the fact that the situation was so dire that she could barely reflect on the romantic implications of that thought...but she had always seen love and friendship as positive things. Until this moment. This situation was proving that the relationships between herself and her friends were proving to be quite detrimental.

Lina had said it to her once, years ago, in private.

"I can feel myself getting closer to Gourry, but I have to keep my distance. If the Mazoku or whatever other enemy is after me find out how much he means to me...they can take him again. Or hurt him. Like Phibrizzo did."

At the time, Amelia had told her that love was worth the risk.

But now, as she watched Callin and Rea walk away and leave her alone in a dark room with no windows, knowing that her father didn't even know her whereabouts, she couldn't help but think that Lina was right.

* * *

The cultists had been "interrogating" Gourry in an adjoining cell for close to an hour when Callin reappeared.

Lina was miserable, angry, hungry and guilty. But if she had to guess, she would say she was mostly angry and guilty.

She knew it would only take one big offensive spell to save Gourry. But, instead, she'd been listening to him being beaten for nearly an hour; which was an hour longer than she would have liked. All because they had no idea what condition Amelia was in, and the ensuing explosion that would accompany a Lina-tantrum would give the madmen plenty of time to harm Amelia before they could get to her.

Gourry had smiled at her and told her not to worry. He had said to trust in him, and to remember that Amelia was in a lot more trouble right now than he was.

But it was absolutely killing her.

Zelgadis wasn't fairing much better. He had no idea what Callin had done with Amelia, or where she was being held.

But, suddenly, Callin Remcheck was standing in front of their holding cell. Gourry's shouts had quieted, and the cult leader was smiling.

Zelgadis definitely didn't like the looks of that smile.

"Ms. Inverse, Mr. Greywords, if you would please follow me. And no funny business. Rea may not look it, but she is quite the accomplished sorceress."

They had not even noticed Rea, hiding in her master's shadow.

Callin opened their cell door and Zelgadis exchanged a quick glance with Lina before they followed the madman upstairs and back into the main section of the compound.

Rea flanked the group, with her hands help up as if ready to fire off an attack spell at the drop of a hat.

Zelgadis walked ahead of Lina, desperately hoping to catch sight of Amelia. At least Lina knew that Gourry was alive. For all he knew, Amelia could be...

Callin stopped in front of a large metal door that definitely looked out of place in a muddy old cave.

Inside the room was a large mahogany desk, a crackling fireplace, and Amelia shackled to the wall.

"Amelia!" Zelgadis shouted and ran over to the princess without thinking.

Callin made no move to stop him. In fact, the chimera's reaction seemed to please him.

Taking a seat behind his desk, Callin calmly steepled his fingers and said, "Leave us, Rea."

Rea nodded and slipped quietly from the room.

"Amelia, are you all right?" Zelgadis asked his friend, giving her a quick magical once-over.

She forced a smile and said, "I've been better, but it's nothing I can't handle. I'm glad to see you and Lina-san are still fine. Where's Gourry-san?"

Lina frowned and said, "Still down in that hellhole dungeon." 

Then she whirled on Callin and screamed, "Now cut the shit and tell us what this is all about!" 

"It's simple," Callin answered, as unshaken as ever. "I would very much appreciate it if you and Mr. Greywords would collect my next two targets for me. I'd hate to lose any of my own people, and you both have personal ties to the targets I have in mind."

Rising from behind his desk, Callin walked to the fire and used an iron poker to absently move some logs around.

"Ms. Inverse, I do believe you once enlisted the services of a magic doctor named Runan? Or, I should say, Kira?"

Lina said nothing, but her frown deepened.

"She has reached adolescence at this time, and I believe her to be a valid candidate to hold a piece of the Dark Lord's soul. I want you to bring her to me. Alive, obviously."

Lina was aghast. "You think that sweet little girl has a piece of Shabranigdu lodged in her soul? I knew you were crazy, buddy, but I had no idea you were THIS crazy!"

"Be that as it may," Callin continued, "If you do not obey, which means going straight to the girl's location and straight back, a certain young man being held in my cellar will meet a very unfortunate end."

"You dirty piece of shi-!"

"As for you," Callin turned to Zelgadis, completely ignoring any impending Lina-tirade, "I wish for you to capture a woman who calls herself Naga the White Serpent. She's a practiced sorceress in her own right, but I think you're the perfect fit for two reasons. One being that she's an expert golem maker, and would be more likely to listen to you given your...interesting characteristics. The second being that she's also the crown princess of Seyruun..."

He turned toward Amelia.

"...And your older sister, is she not?"

Amelia gasped, with a look of horror frozen on her face.

Lina, too, had suddenly turned pale as a sheet.

Zelgadis was stunned into silence, then anger.

"You bastard! How dare you! Nothing on this Orb gives you the right to do whatever the hell you want with people's lives!"

"Oh?" Callin said, lifting the hot poker out of the fire and walking toward Amelia.

As Zelgadis watched, the madmen hefted the iron poker and shoved the searing hot end into Amelia's right thigh.

Her scream was unbearable. Zelgadis snapped and rushed Callin, grabbing him by his throat and shoving him hard into the nearest wall.

It would have been nothing for him to crush the cultist's throat in his stone grip...but, to the Shaman's surprise, Callin was no longer in his grasp.

"Oh, dear, it wouldn't do at all for you to kill him right now, Zelgadis-san!"

A familiar and incredibly unwanted voice suddenly reverberated through the office.

Then, in a fit of purple sparkles unbecoming someone of his nature, there appeared one of the most powerful creatures they knew.

Zelgadis narrowed his eyes and growled out through gritted teeth, "Xellos."


	7. Pride and Injustice

"Xellos, what the hell are you doing here?" Lina shouted while grabbing the Mazoku by his collar and shaking him in a way that implied he couldn't destroy her with a snap of his fingers. He could, of course, if he wanted to. Lina wasn't stupid or particularly reckless, she just knew that the general and priest of Xellas Metallium needed her alive. Otherwise, how could he use her for his own purposes?

As such, she figured it was fine to treat him any way she damn well pleased.

"Lina-san, please stop shaking me!" Xellos whined, ever-so-politely.

She did so, but only because she felt like it.

Xellos made a show of dusting himself off and straightening his shirt before finally answering, "I would have thought it was obvious. I'm here because Callin-san and his team want the same thing the Mazoku do. It would benefit us greatly if he obtained another piece of the Dark Lord's soul, to be reborn into this world."

Zelgadis let a small feral growl escape from his throat.

"That said," Xellos continued, "I think I'll be watching the proceedings here even more closely."

Then he snapped his fingers and Callin reappeared, looking more surprised than Zelgadis had ever seen him during his entire time with the cult.

"Who the hell are you?" Callin snapped at Xellos.

Xellos just grinned at him and said, "I'll explain everything to you in detail...privately. But know that I am someone you definitely want on your side."

Then, turning from the cult leader, Xellos addressed Lina and Zelgadis once again.

"If the two of you could please bring the next two candidates here, I know we'd really appreciate it. Wouldn't we, Callin-san?"

Callin Remcheck glowered.

* * *

It killed him to leave Amelia behind, but he had no choice. He had to leave her in order to save her.

Zelgadis gritted his teeth and entered the seedy bar with trepidation. Normally, entering any kind of establishment full of bandits and other unsavories would not have bothered the chimera. He looked suspicious enough, himself, that most people just left him alone. But this time, he had a mission. And Amelia's life depended on his success.

Zelgadis could only hope that Amelia's mysterious missing sister would be as practical and kind-hearted as his princess.

His hopes were shattered when he saw her.

There was some kind of uproar happening at a table in the very back of the bar, so Zelgadis headed that way.

The center of attention, surrounded by a gaggle of men, was someone Zelgadis would have normally never given a second glance. But, as it stood, she fit the very detailed description he had been given.

And they had the same hair.

The tall, ludicrously dressed, incredibly busty woman had long plum-colored hair in the exact same shade as Amelia's shorter coif.

Zelgadis made his way toward the woman and pushed his way through the hoard of men circled around her.

"OH HO HO HO HO!" The woman let loose with the most irritating laugh Zelgadis had ever heard. He resisted the urge to cover his sensitive ears.

"You, sir, have lost again to Naga the White Serpent, the most beautiful and talented sorceress on this great Orb!" She was pointing an accusatory finger at a very grungy bandit.

The man in question let out an angry grumble, but he pushed himself away from the table and stood, leaving the woman and whatever game they had been playing behind without so much as a backward glance.

Zelgadis took that chance to fill the man's empty seat.

"Oh?" Naga said with only a hint of surprise, looking Zelgadis over from head to toe. "And just what exactly are you?"

Zelgadis ground his teeth together but answered, "I'm just a sorcerer sent to collect you at your sister's behest."

Naga seemed surprised for a moment, then took another moment to process the information. Then she flung her head back and let loose with another terrifying laugh.

Zelgadis flinched.

"My dear boy!" The woman proclaimed, "I don't know what you're talking about! I have no family to speak of! You must have me confused with someone else!"

"If only I were that lucky..." Zelgadis muttered under his breath. Louder, he said, "Then I suppose you wouldn't care if I told you that your not-sister is currently shackled to a wall and possibly being tortured or beaten like a piece of meat?"

That got the woman's attention. For a moment, she actually seemed speechless.

"No," she finally answered. "Since I don't know the person in question, I don't care in the least."

"That's too bad," Zelgadis said with a lopsided grin. "Because I understand there's a very hefty reward for saving her."

"REWARD!" Naga shouted, then cleared her throat in embarrassment and more quietly said, "Do go on."

Bingo.

"Well," Zelgadis said, nonchalantly, "If we set the girl free, I understand we would receive 20,000 gold. Split 50/50, of course."

"60/40," the woman said, leering shrewdly at the chimera.

Zelgadis sighed. "Fine, whatever. Will you come with me?"

"It's been fun, boys!" Naga announced as she tied a small pouch to her belt and grabbed a sword that looked like it had never been taken out of its sheath.

"Lead the way, Rocky," the sorceress said with a smile.

Zelgadis sighed. If they got out of this alive, Amelia was going to owe him. Big time.

* * *

"Are you ever going to speak to me, or do you plan to walk in silence for days?"

Zelgadis gritted his teeth, a nasty habit he seemed to have developed since meeting Naga, and muttered, "Fine, what do you want to talk about?"

Naga seemed to contemplate that for a moment before saying, "I want to know exactly who you are, what kind of spell was used to fuse you with a golem, and exactly why you came to me for your little rescue mission."

"Fine," Zelgadis spat at the irritating woman, "My name is Zelgadis, my great-grandfather used a spell of unknown origin that he probably invented himself to turn me into a chimera, and I came to you for the exact reason I've already told you."

Naga marinated on that for a moment.

"Let's say, hypothetically, that I do have a sister who is in danger. What is your relationship to her? Why do you care? And how did she wind up in danger to begin with?"

Zelgadis let an irritated hiss escape his throat.

"I know she's your sister, so you can stop with the stupid games. I'm technically her bodyguard and escort, but, more importantly, I'm her friend. She wound up in danger because of a hair-brained scheme that she orchestrated, but also because I obviously failed at protecting her."

They had traversed a fairly good distance during their short conversation, but something made Naga stop. Zelgadis walked a few more steps, then turned back to look at the sorceress.

She was looking at him in concentration, and he resisted the urge to pull up his hood and mask. He certainly had nothing to hide from this pig-headed woman!

Finally, though, he felt the need to break the awkward silence.

"What?" he asked.

"You," Naga said, thoughtfully. "You mean to tell me that my da-...er, your friend's father lets you gallivant around with her? All alone, just the two of you?"

"I should hope so," Zelgadis said with a hint of annoyance. "I think I've proven myself to him enough times, and he did give me an honorary knighthood."

"He WHAT?" Naga shouted, then caught herself and cleared her throat.

Zelgadis was beyond irritated with the woman, so he turned and began walking again in hopes that she would just follow and shut the hell up.

No such luck.

"So," the sorceress began, catching up and walking beside him. "How long have you known her?"

"Five years," Zelgadis said, automatically.

"Why did your great-grandfather turn you into a chimera?"

"Because he was a dick."

Naga laughed, and Zelgadis flinched away from her. It was a natural response.

"Seriously," she went on, "Why did he do it? You don't seem very happy about it, so I assume it was a mistake?"

"It was," Zelgadis found himself saying. "It was a terrible mistake. But now he's gone and I'm the one who has to live with it."

Naga looked at him again for a long while as they walked. As their conversation progressed, Zelgadis couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the woman than she would have people believe. Her voice had actually softened during the last question, and the chimera felt that perhaps she was letting her guard down.

It was almost as if the bare breasts and ass were part of a role she was playing. Part of a shield that helped protect her from...something. But what? She was the true crown princess of Seyruun, so what could possibly be so terrible?

Zelgadis' reverie was broken by another question.

"How did he die? Was he just old?"

Then Zelgadis surprised Naga by laughing.

"Oh, he was old," the chimera answered with a grin. "He was hundreds of years old, I suppose. I'm not exactly sure. Not only did he specialize in longevity, but he had a piece of Ruby Eye Shabranigdu lodged in his soul that was probably helping him along, as well."

Naga gasped, but otherwise stayed quiet.

Zelgadis surprised her again by continuing his story.

"Eventually, Shabranigdu's influence became too much for him. I think it started driving him mad years before anyone actually noticed. I'd like to think that...that he wouldn't have done what he did to me if it hadn't been for that. He was blind, and all he wanted to do was heal his eyes. He wanted it more than home, family, love..."

Zelgadis trailed off and Naga feared that he was clamming up again.

"...But, in the end," Zelgadis continued after a moment, "the Dark Lord won, and was reborn into this world. If it hadn't been for Lina, we'd all be dead."

Naga stopped again, becoming stiff as a board and staring off into some spot in the distance.

Zelgadis stopped too, and turned toward the woman.

"Did you say Lina?" Naga asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah," Zelgadis said, putting his hands on his hips in defiance. He was already prepared to defend Lina against whatever Naga had heard about her. "I'm sure you've heard of her. Lina Inverse. She saved the world back then. Actually, she's saved the world several times since, as well."

Naga gave the chimera a small smile and said, "I have no doubt."

"Then what...?"

"It's nothing," Naga interrupted, beginning to walk again and acting like nothing had happened. "You have some interesting and powerful friends, that's all."

"Yeah, I'm such a lucky guy," Zelgadis said, sarcastically.

"Out of curiosity," Naga began again, somewhat haughtily, "Would you be going to the same amount of trouble to help Lina if she was the one in trouble?"

Zelgadis thought on that for a moment and finally answered, "I don't know that I would have to, but I guess. Although she's terrified of her sister for reasons I don't think I ever want to know, plus she has Gourry to protect her."

"Oh, she has a man?" Naga seemed surprised.

"I suppose so."

"Huh," Naga said thoughtfully, but did not elaborate.

"Then, Amelia," Naga began. Zelgadis noted that he had not told her the name of the person they were rescuing. "You love her, right?"

"I...what now?" Zelgadis stopped walking this time, and gaped in shock.

"Well, do you or not?" Naga asked, stopping to frown at the chimera. "You have her father's approval, you travel with her often, you stay close enough to protect her, you go along with her crazy ideas - which, by the way, you're going to tell me about in detail – and you probably don't want to end up like your crazy grandpa, right?"

Zelgadis could only stare at the gaudy woman. Sure enough, there was more to her than meets the eye. She was incredibly perceptive, and had asked all the right questions.

"That's none of your goddamn business!" He finally snapped. Because he had no other answer for her just yet.

"Hmph," Naga snorted, turning on her heel and walking away from him.

Glowering after her, Zelgadis followed.

* * *

Lina trudged up to Kira's house with trepidation. What bothered her more than the idea of having to explain the situation to the girl in the first place was the fact that she knew, without a doubt, that she would use force to get the healer to go with her if she had to.

After all, Gourry's life depended on it.

Finally reaching the house, Lina steeled herself and knocked.

"Come in, Lina-san," came a voice from inside the small cottage.

It was not Kira's voice.

It was, however, very familiar. Lina's mouth dropped open in shock as she flung the door open.

Sure enough, sitting just inside the living room and drinking a cup of tea with a slightly older Kira, sat a woman with very long blonde hair and a very pointy hat.

"We've been waiting for you," Filia Ul Copt said as she looked up from her teacup.

"Filia?" Lina screeched in astonishment. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Setting her cup down and narrowing her eyes in determination, Filia answered.

"Stopping you."


	8. Demons and Angels

"Filia," Lina said with a quiet conviction that surprised the dragoness. "I don't want to hurt you...but I will if you get in my way. You don't understand the full scope of this situation."

Filia harrumphed and got to her feet. She approached Lina with her fists at her sides, and a reproachful look.

"Lina-san, don't just assume things you know nothing about. I am fully briefed on this situation, and you're not taking this young lady anywhere."

The last she said with a very slight head tilt in the direction of a worried-looking Kira.

Lina crossed her arms underneath her less than ample bosom, her patience wearing thin.

"And why's that?" she asked.

"I'm so glad you asked!" Filia chirped , turning back to the young healer at the table.

"There are a couple of reasons, actually. First, even if Kira did hold a fragment of the Dark Lord, I couldn't possibly, in good conscience, let you take her to die. But, more importantly, the second reason being that Kira does not hold a fragment of the Dark Lord."

Lina narrowed her eyes and looked from the dragoness to the healer and back again.

"How can you be sure?" the red-head finally whispered, voicing a worry she'd had since before she'd arrived. That worry, of course, being than Callin Remcheck was right.

Filia resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she made the obvious statement.

"Because, if she were the least part Mazoku, I would sense it. Just like I can always sense that...that..." Filia trailed off, balling her fists up at her sides again and beginning to look angry at the mere thought of the being she couldn't quite mention.

Lina could see the fire of indignation begin to burn in Filia's eyes, so she waved a hand and said, "Right, right, you can always sense Xellos. You make a good point. But the issue is more complex than that. If I don't bring Kira to them, they're going to kill Gourry. Or at least try to. I don't doubt that he could take down more than half their men with his bare hands, considering how untrained they seem to be. But he'd still get plenty hurt in the process, and I'm not about to let that happen."

Filia nodded. "I thought they may find something to use as leverage. Or someone, I should say." Filia grinned at the sorceress.

Lina blushed a bit and snapped, "That's beside the point! Amelia and Zel were already up to their necks in trouble before we even got there!"

"Yes," Filia nodded. "You could say it's because of Amelia-san that I'm here. You see, word of the cult's activities have been filtering to the highest channels of my kind. I'm no longer a priestess of the Flarelord, but I am still a Golden Dragon. So when a representative of our Senate approached me with a story about the princess of Seyruun infiltrating the Cult of Shabranigdu, I was asked to do some information gathering of my own and use my friendship with Amelia-san if necessary. For the good of my people, and the world."

"And yet," Lina said, a small evil grin beginning to stretch across her face, "You did nothing to help Amelia or Zel when you undoubtedly found out they'd been asked to capture me, and you haven't bothered to show your face until now. Could that possibly be because the Golden Dragons thought it would be more prudent to use us again?"

"W-well..." Filia stammered, her face flushed with embarrassment and possibly shame. "It's not as if I would have stood by and let you all be killed!"

Lina sighed. She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temples to fight off the headache she felt coming on.

"All that aside," Filia interjected, very quietly, "I'm not foolish enough to think that the resurrection of Shabranigdu wouldn't affect me, personally."

Lina's eyes snapped open and she looked up, surprised.

"It's just...," Filia continued, "Val has finally hatched. He's already so bright and talented! He can take his human form effortlessly. He looks...he looks like what I saw..."

Filia stopped to clear her throat, since it had taken on a raspy quality.

"...Anyway, I'm scared for him. He was Mazoku, Lina-san. It was in another life, but being the priest of a Mazoku Lord is probably not something they easily forget. Their whole kind, I mean. They went after Garv because he was reborn the wrong way. What do you think they would do to Val, if given the order?"

Lina had no answer for her.

* * *

"I'm so sorry, Gourry-san," Amelia whimpered for the hundredth time.

Gourry sighed and leaned back against the cold wall of the cell that he and Amelia had found themselves in.

"Amelia, it's okay," the swordsman said with a smile, giving the girl a brotherly pat on the head. "I keep telling you, this is no worse than some of the other scrapes I've been in with you guys."

"Yeah, but this time it's my fault," Amelia muttered. "There's a certain amount of guilt involved, you know."

"I know," Gourry said, still in good spirits. "But just do like Lina and push it down really deep and then deal with it later, when we're out of trouble."

Amelia blinked at him. "Is that was Lina-san does?"

"Yep."

"Hm," Amelia said, thoughtfully. "That explains a lot."

"It keeps the head clear and more ready for battle," Gourry went on. "It's hard to strategize when your feelings are all muddled."

Amelia blinked in surprise. "That's very astute of you, Gourry-san."

"Thanks!" the swordsman said, grinning broadly.

Amelia let out a long sigh to collect her thoughts and then said, "It's just...I think, most of all, I regret dragging Zelgadis-san into this. I can't help but wonder if he felt somehow obligated to help me, and now his life is in danger."

"Don't you worry about Zel," Gourry said, very matter-of-factly. "He isn't doing anything he doesn't wanna do. Everything he does, it's because he wants to. He and Lina are a lot alike in that way. That's why they butt heads sometimes. But Zel has chosen you to protect, like me with Lina. And since I've never regretted a single day with Lina, I'm sure Zel feels the same way. He's probably happy just to be around you."

Amelia was taken aback. "You...you really think so?"

Gourry nodded.

Amelia looked thoughtfully into the distance for a moment and then said, "I guess I never thought about it that way before. I'm always so happy to have Zelgadis-san around, it never occurred to me that maybe he felt the same way."

Then she allowed herself a small smile.

The swordsman reached over and ruffled Amelia's hair, playfully.

"Glad you're feeling better," he said. "But there is one thing I need to ask you."

"What's that, Gourry-san?"

"What's 'astute'?"

* * *

"Well, here we are," Zelgadis announced, motioning to the cave entrance.

"You expect me to go in there?" Naga proclaimed, utterly aghast.

The chimera sighed and once again wished that this woman was not related to Amelia, and that he would not get in loads of trouble for killing her and stuffing her body inside a trunk and then sinking it to the bottom of the sea.

Not that he'd given it much thought, of course.

Instead of killing her, Zelgadis closed his eyes and pressed two fingers hard against his throbbing temples.

"Yes," he said, through gritted teeth. "I expect you to go in there, then put on a little song and dance long enough for me to grab Amelia and get out. You're a capable sorceress, so I'd assumed you could handle this."

Naga crossed her arms, haughtily, and said, "Of course I can take care of myself. I can create any kind of diversion you need. You just hold up your end of the bargain."

"Yeah, yeah," Zelgadis said, waving a hand dismissively. "Make sure Amelia doesn't see you, and I never tell anyone that I know who you really are. Trust me, it'll be my pleasure never to mention you or see you again."

"Of course," Naga said with a grin, "You have no use for me, since you like your Seyruun girls more on the petite side..."

Zelgadis resisted the urge to punch her. But just barely.

* * *

"Okay, we're here," Lina said to a nervous Filia and a terrified Kira.

The young healer twirled the end of her pink ponytail around her finger again and again and whispered, "Do you think this is a good idea?"

"Of course it is!" Lina all but yelled. "It was my idea, wasn't it? I take you in and present you like a sack of potatoes, then Filia busts in and creates a diversion so you can get away and I can rescue Gourry! Easy as pie!"

The thought of pie momentarily distracted Lina, as she contemplated what type of pie she and Gourry would consume to celebrate.

Filia cleared her throat to bring Lina back to the matter at hand.

"Now, Kira," Lina said, "look really scared and I'll drag you in with your hands tied behind your back, okay?"

Kira had no trouble looking scared as Lina secured her wrists "for authenticity."

"Let's do it!" Lina said with a conviction she almost really felt.

With that, she and Kira walked into the cave.

* * *

"We're here," Zelgadis called out as he and Naga reached the center of the cult's hideout.

Callin quickly strode around a corner, flanked as usual by Rea, but now also followed by Xellos.

Callin said nothing as he considered Naga for a brief moment, then turned to Zelgadis.

"As promised, you can follow Rea down to the dungeon to collect your princess. I'm nothing if not a man of my word."

Rea looked unwilling to go anywhere alone with Zelgadis, and she practically whimpered as the chimera stepped toward her.

"C-Callin...?" She looked up at her leader, questioningly.

The cultist gave her a tight little smile and coaxed her, "Rea, remember when we spoke about your role here? You must learn to be less jumpy about things. You're a sorceress, after all. Act like it!"

Rea gave one terse nod and then straightened her shoulders and motioned for Zelgadis to follow her.

"We're here!" Lina yelled as she practically shoved Kira into the center of the cult's hideout. For more authenticity, of course.

Callin was already seated at one of the tables in the palatial room.

"Excellent," the man said, standing and motioning toward his office. "The girl can join me and our other guest in my office, and you may go downstairs and collect your swordsman."

"I'm not in any hurry," Lina said, crossing her arms. "Mind if I come along for the ride? I'm curious."

Callin considered Lina for a long while, then shrugged as if he'd decided she was no threat.

"Do as you wish," he said. "But I can't promise you'll like what you see."

* * *

"Just the princess," Rea ordered, with that she hoped was an air of authority.

One of the cult's soldiers unlocked the cell and Amelia gave Gourry's hand a squeeze before standing and joining Zelgadis on the other side.

It only took her a moment before she broke down and threw her arms around the chimera.

"Zelgadis-san, I'm so sorry! This is all my fault!" Amelia wailed as she clung to her friend, and Zelgadis awkwardly patted her on the back. He had never seen Amelia so upset, not even when she thought her father had been assassinated.

It was almost as if she'd given up, and that was something he couldn't stand for.

"Amelia," he began, finally returning her hug in full...but was interrupted by an explosion that rocked the entire compound. Dirt from the ceiling and walls fell all around them, and Gourry jumped up and ran to the cell door.

"What was that?" he yelled, not wanting to be tactically ignorant if it were magic that Zel or Amelia could identify.

"I have no idea!" Zelgadis yelled over the din. Something was happening upstairs, as one explosion followed another, and a high-pitched wail could be heard.

He pulled Amelia protectively behind him as another piece of ceiling collapsed down on them.

"Oh, gods!" Rea screamed as the dungeon swayed and buckled.

Zelgadis took that moment to pull his sword on the cultist, and barked at the lone soldier guarding Gourry, "Open that door and let him out, or I'll kill the girl!"

The soldier, confused and shaken, did as he was ordered.

"Thanks!" Gourry said, then punched the soldier into unconsciousness and took his sword.

"This will do," the blonde said with a grin, sizing up the capabilities of the blade.

"Please, let me go, I have to get upstairs!" Rea cried, starting to completely lose her cool. "Callin could be hurt!"

"I don't give two shits about that guy!" Zelgadis screamed back at her. "Show us where the door is down here, or I'll slit your throat!"

"Zelgadis-san!" Amelia admonished, out of habit. In this instance, though, there wasn't much conviction behind her words. She knew Zelgadis' threats were empty. He wasn't that kind of man anymore. Plus, he was just worried about protecting her. She could see that now.

Legs shaking with fear, and from the swaying of the room, Rea pointed toward the west wall. Even in the darkness, Zelgadis could finally make out the outline of a door hidden beneath a dirt canopy.

"Come on, Amelia!" the chimera barked, grabbing the princess' hand and beginning to drag her from the room.

"But what about Lina-san?" Amelia yelled, trying to dig her heels in.

"Don't worry about her, I'm going to find her right now!" Gourry called, already halfway up the dungeon stairs.

"See, Gourry's got this, now let's GO!" Zelgadis pulled again. Amelia pulled back.

"I can't just leave them when there's a battle going on upstairs and I'm the cause of all this!" Amelia screamed over the sound of another explosion.

"Amelia, PLEASE!" Zelgadis found himself begging as he jerked Amelia out of the way of another falling piece of ceiling, this time solid rock.

Then a large piece of the ceiling, almost as big as the cell Amelia and Gourry had been held in, fell between the princess and the chimera with a thunderous CRACK.

Springing apart just in time, the dust settled and Amelia found herself completely separated from Zelgadis. She was alone, and her only way out was up the stairs. While they were still standing, at least.

"ZELGADIS!" she screamed, but there was no answer on the other side of the rock wall.

Her heart pounding in her throat, Amelia prayed that Zelgadis had gotten out through the hidden door.

Now there was no way for her to go but up.

* * *

Zelgadis opened his eyes, once again silently thanking Rezo for his body. He had been knocked on the head by a smaller, but still substantial, piece of the falling ceiling. It probably would have killed a normal man.

He had only been knocked unconscious for a few seconds (he hoped), but otherwise seemed none the worse for wear.

"Amelia!" He began yelling at the top of his lungs, ignoring the pounding in his head. There was no answer from the other side of the makeshift rock wall that had fallen between them.

"Oh, gods, Amelia!" Zelgadis yelled, frantically.

If he had been hit on the head, what if she had been, too? Or worse, what if she had been completely crushed?

His breath caught, and he had to force the panic down.

He headed for the hidden door in the dirt wall, before it was lost to him in the avalanches, and decided to circle around and re-enter the cave from the front.

He'd save Amelia, somehow.

* * *

"You dumbass! I had a plan!" Lina Inverse screamed at her old partner.

"How was I supposed to know it would go out of control?" Naga screamed back, ducking from the Dimos Dragon flying in circles over their heads.

"Because it ALWAYS goes out of control!" Lina screamed, her eyes twitching in anger and annoyance. It took all of her self-control not to Dragon Slave Naga along with the whole damn place.

After Naga had summoned the Dimos Dragon, Filia had decided that was her cue and busted through the wall in her dragon form.

She was now flying around trying to get the Dimos Dragon, a less sentient and intelligent dragon, out of the cave.

It was not going well.

Xellos, of course, had taken Filia's appearance as his own cue to leave.

"CALLIN!" Rea screamed as she reached the scene of the chaos.

She ran to the cult leader and crouched down with him. For his part, Callin was hiding under a heavy wooden table. He was cold and ruthless, but still had a sense of self-preservation.

"Rea, I want them all dead! Do you hear me? DEAD!" Callin screamed at the girl.

Rea flinched away from her leader. She had never seen him so angry.

"But, Callin..."

She was interrupted by Gourry's entrance.

"Lina!" Gourry called out, his smile growing as he caught sight of her and saw that she was unharmed.

"Gourry!" Lina yelled back, happily.

Naga looked between the blonde and the red-head and said, "Ehhhhh?"

"Shut up, Naga!" Lina snapped. "Whatever snide little thing you want to say, just shut up!"

As Gourry finally caught up to Lina and tried really hard not to stare at Naga's breasts, Filia appeared before them in her human form and announced, "I got the Dimos Dragon out!"

Kira hobbled up to them, finally free of her hiding place, and asked, "Um...can I leave now?"

"Wow, was that a Dimos Dragon?" came a bell-like female voice from across the room. Amelia came bounding up to them, excited but not wearing her usual carefree smile.

She stopped in front of them and took in the leather-clad woman with long hair.

"G-Gracia?"

Naga looked down, letting her hair form a curtain over her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." she began, but was interrupted by Zelgadis running frantically into the room.

"Amelia!" He cried, scooping the princess up and twirling her around, not caring who saw and thought he'd lost his mind.

Gracia peeked out from under her hair.

"Zelgadis, you're all right!" Amelia shouted as she hugged her friend tightly.

Putting Amelia down and stepping away, both blushing, Zelgadis cleared his throat and asked, "Whose Dimos Dragon was that?"

"ENOUGH!" Callin Remcheck suddenly screamed in fury, appearing before them. His face was red, and he was shaking with rage.

"Rea!" He snapped, and the girl seemed to appear beside him out of no where.

Trembling, she muttered, "Yes, Callin?"

"Kill them! Do that spell you know! I don't care if you bring this whole place down, but KILL. THEM. ALL!"

"Callin, please don't make me..." Rea whimpered, but there was no reasoning with the cult leader.

"DO IT NOW!" Callin screamed.

"O-okay..."

Rea took a deep breath, and every mage in the room watched her with interest.

She muttered an incantation under her breath, then screamed two words of power that shocked them all.

"BLAST BOMB!"

"EVERYONE GET DOWN NOW!" Lina screamed, and everyone dove for it.

Luckily, Rea's heart wasn't in it, because the spell missed every living thing in the room. Anything the blast would have affected was left unharmed.

The light show was impressive, though.

As Lina and her friends looked up from where they had landed (Lina had found herself under Gourry, much to her chagrin), they saw Xellos reappear and float high above them.

"My, my," he said, clapping slowly in the deafening silence of the room. "Impressive."

And then, as they watched Rea lift her head up from casting a spell that only Lei Magnus could supposedly cast, all their hearts sank.

Because Rea's eyes were glowing bright red.


End file.
